Research Findings: Siblings' interactions in early childhood may provide a unique context for understanding others' needs and fostering prosociality. This 2-year longitudinal study examined children's prosocial responsiveness to their siblings' needs during naturalistic interactions. European-Canadian sibling dyads (N = 39) were observed in their…

Sibling-directed teaching of mathematical topics during naturalistic home interactions was investigated in 39 middle-class sibling dyads at two time points. At time 1 (T1), siblings were 2 and 4 years of age, and at time 2 (T2), siblings were 4 and 6 years of age. Intentional sequences of sibling-directed mathematical teaching were coded for (i)…

Research on the home literacy environment has typically involved parents as teachers with little attention given to siblings' roles in teaching each other. This study examines naturalistic language and literacy teaching by 39 sibling dyads, at two timepoints, when children were ages 2 and 4 (time 1; T1) and again at ages 4 and 6 (time 2; T2). Each…

Naturalistic dyadic sequences of teaching and learning involving older and younger siblings were investigated in 39 middle-class dyads over a 2-year period in early childhood. Siblings were observed during ongoing interactions in the home setting for 6 90-min sessions at both Time 1 (older sibling "M" age = 4.4 years; younger sibling…

It has long been argued that ownership depends upon social groups' establishing and adhering to rights such as the right to use and to exclude others from using one's own property. The authors consider the application of such rights in the interactions of young peers and siblings, and the extent to which parents support their children in…

When children apologize, they accept responsibility for wrongdoings and act to reconcile social relationships. Apologies to siblings were coded in 40 families that were observed for 9 h when children were 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 years old, and again 2 years later. We found that sibling apologies were rare, generally simple in form, and more frequent after…

Given the importance of mutual understanding for constructive conflict resolution, this study investigated the influence of information-sharing on siblings faced with conflicts of interests. Thirty-two sibling dyads (ages 4.5 to 8) participated. Siblings were asked to negotiate the division of five toys between themselves. Half of the pairs first…

Sixty-four sibling dyads (4-12 years old; 61% males; 83% European-American) were asked to resolve an ongoing conflict. Older siblings provided leadership by suggesting, modifying, justifying, and requesting assent to plans for conflict resolution. Younger siblings countered and disagreed, but also contributed to planning and agreed to their…

Examines sibling socialization of moral orientation (care and justice) during property disputes in 40 dual-parent families with two children, aged 2 and 4 years old. Reveals that the children preferred justice orientation, its use increasing with age, when suggesting how property disputes should be resolved. Includes references. (CMK)

Investigates parental intervention in sibling disputes to reveal how different developmental models inform us about the role of social conflict in early development. Examines predictions made by Piagetian, socialization, and conflict-mediation models regarding the role of adults in children's conflicts, as they are applied to a series of studies…

Noting that children's appeals to parents can provide information about children's understanding of the family justice system and the dynamics of third party intervention, this study examined the tattling behavior observed in 2- and 4-year-old siblings of 40 Canadian families from diverse occupational and educational backgrounds. Observations of…

A study examined family conflicts on the premise that conflict between siblings provides an opportunity for the socialization of justice. Forty two-parent, two-child families were observed in their homes during three 90-minute sessions in which the children and parents were in separate areas of the house. In each of the families, one child was 2.5…

Conflict resolutions that do not accord with parents' positions display children's power to influence both the conduct of conflict and the principles families use in conflict resolution. Forty two-parent, two-child families were observed in their homes during three 90-minute sessions in which the children and parents were in separate areas of the…

Preschool-aged children, their older siblings, and mothers in 65 families appraised the children's relationships. Factor analysis indicated that a single factor with good internal consistency and short-term stability characterized sibling relationships. Relationships were appraised positively, and were perceived as reciprocal. Children's ratings…